A WEST Cumbrian man who was convicted of raping a schoolgirl when he was a 16-year-old has been jailed.

Josh Atkinson, who is now 22, had pleaded not guilty to the offence but he was convicted by a jury after a trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Prosecutor Tim Evans outlined how the defendant committed the offence in 2017.

The girl was of primary school age at the time. “She told him no and tried to push him away but he was older and stronger than she was,” said Mr Evans. The girl’s ordeal lasted for about 15 minutes in total.

It was at a later stage, when the girl was having a sex education lesson at school, that she became upset and realised the enormity of what had happened and disclosed it to her mother, said Mr Evans.

The barrister went on to outline the impact of the rape on both the girl and her mother, who said it had been hard watching her daughter “go into herself and struggle with her emotions”, becoming upset and angry.

Speaking of the victim, Mr Evans said: “Being raped made her feel more insecure about herself; it plays on her mind. She can’t trust boys and she is scared of all matters sexual.”

The girl had also isolated herself and did not leave her home for a long time.

She also self-harmed on a couple of occasions, said Mr Evans.

News and Star: The defendant was jailed for four years. The defendant was jailed for four years. (Image: Newsquest)

The barrister explained that because the defendant, of Cockfield Drive, Workington, was 16 when he committed the offence, just a few months away from his 17th birthday, he would have to be sentenced as though he were still a youth.

Peter Wilson, defending, said maturity issues which affected the defendant’s consequential thinking and impulsivity were factors in the offending.  There were also other issues which arose from his childhood.

“There was significant instability in his young life,” said Mr Wilson.

The defendant had suffered violence in his family home and this led to illicit substances being used there. “He describes his father as a career criminal who has his own drug dependency issues,” said Mr Wilson.

As a result of childhood trauma, Atkinson had suffered depressive symptoms from the age of 12 and had experienced suicidal thoughts throughout his life. But he was now taking medication and using his time in prison positively.

Judge Guy Mathieson said the defendant, who still denies his offence, was convicted by the jury on “compelling evidence.”

He jailed Atkinson for four years  - half the sentence he would have been given had he been an adult when he committed the offence.

The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register for life and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. A restraining order forbids any contact with his victim for the same period.